In vitro study of virulence potential of Acinetobacter baumannii outer membrane vesicles

2017 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 218-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chandana Jha ◽  
Sujata Ghosh ◽  
Vikas Gautam ◽  
Pankaj Malhotra ◽  
Pallab Ray
2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 3084-3090 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Rumbo ◽  
Esteban Fernández-Moreira ◽  
María Merino ◽  
Margarita Poza ◽  
Jose Antonio Mendez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe resistance ofAcinetobacter baumanniistrains to carbapenems is a worrying problem in hospital settings. The main mechanism of carbapenem resistance is the expression of β-lactamases (metalloenzymes or class D enzymes). The mechanisms of the dissemination of these genes amongA. baumanniistrains are not fully understood. In this study we used two carbapenem-resistant clinical strains ofA. baumannii(AbH12O-A2 and AbH12O-CU3) expressing the plasmid-borneblaOXA-24gene (plasmids pMMA2 and pMMCU3, respectively) to demonstrate thatA. baumanniireleases outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) duringin vitrogrowth. The use of hybridization studies enabled us to show that these OMVs harbored theblaOXA-24gene. The incubation of these OMVs with the carbapenem-susceptibleA. baumanniiATCC 17978 host strain yielded full resistance to carbapenems. The presence of the original plasmids harboring theblaOXA-24gene was detected in strain ATCC 17978 after the transformation of OMVs. New OMVs harboringblaOXA-24were released byA. baumanniiATCC 17978 after it was transformed with the original OMV-mediated plasmids, indicating the universality of the process. We present the first experimental evidence that clinical isolates ofA. baumanniimay release OMVs as a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer whereby carbapenem resistance genes are delivered to surroundingA. baumanniibacterial isolates.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 407
Author(s):  
Jūratė Skerniškytė ◽  
Emilija Karazijaitė ◽  
Asta Lučiūnaitė ◽  
Edita Sužiedėlienė

Multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii shows a growing number of nosocomial infections worldwide during the last decade. The outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) produced by this bacterium draw increasing attention as a possible treatment target. OMVs have been implicated in the reduction of antibiotic level in the surrounding environment, transfer of virulence factors into the host cells, and induction of inflammatory response. Although the evidence on the involvement of OMVs in A. baumannii pathogenesis is currently growing, their role during inflammation is insufficiently explored. It is likely that bacteria, by secreting OMVs, can expand the area of their exposure and prepare surrounding matrix for infection. Here, we investigated the impact of A. baumannii OMVs on activation of macrophages in vitro. We show that OmpA protein present in A. baumannii OMVs substantially contributes to the proinflammatory response in J774 murine macrophages and to the cell death in both lung epithelium cells and macrophages. The loss of OmpA protein in OMVs, obtained from A. baumannii ∆ompA mutant, resulted in the altered expression of genes coding for IL-6, NLRP3 and IL-1β proinflammatory molecules in macrophages in vitro. These results imply that OmpA protein in bacterial OMVs could trigger a more intense proinflammatory response.


eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaeeun Park ◽  
Misung Kim ◽  
Bora Shin ◽  
Mingyeong Kang ◽  
Jihye Yang ◽  
...  

Modification of the outer membrane charge by a polymyxin B (PMB)-induced PmrAB two-component system appears to be a dominant phenomenon in PMB-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. PMB-resistant variants and many clinical isolates also appeared to produce outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses revealed that upregulation of the pmr operon and decreased membrane-linkage proteins (OmpA, OmpW and BamE) are linked to overproduction of OMVs, which also promoted enhanced biofilm formation. The addition of OMVs from PMB-resistant variants into the cultures of PMB-susceptible A. baumannii and the clinical isolates protected these susceptible bacteria from PMB. Taxonomic profiling of in vitro human gut microbiomes under anaerobic conditions demonstrated that OMVs completely protected the microbial community against PMB treatment. A Galleria mellonella-infection model with PMB treatment showed that OMVs increased the mortality rate of larvae by protecting A. baumannii from PMB. Taken together, OMVs released from A. baumannii functioned as decoys against PMB.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nayeong Kim ◽  
Hyo Jeong Kim ◽  
Man Hwan Oh ◽  
Se Yeon Kim ◽  
Mi Hyun Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Zinc uptake-regulator (Zur)-regulated lipoprotein A (ZrlA) plays a role in bacterial fitness and overcoming antimicrobial exposure in Acinetobacter baumannii. This study further characterized the zrlA gene and its encoded protein and investigated the roles of the zrlA gene in bacterial morphology, antimicrobial susceptibility, and production of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) in A. baumannii ATCC 17978. Results In silico and polymerase chain reaction analyses showed that the zrlA gene was conserved among A. baumannii strains with 97–100% sequence homology. Recombinant ZrlA protein exhibited a specific enzymatic activity of D-alanine-D-alanine carboxypeptidase. Wild-type A. baumannii exhibited more morphological heterogeneity than a ΔzrlA mutant strain during stationary phase. The ΔzrlA mutant strain was more susceptible to gentamicin than the wild-type strain. Sizes and protein profiles of OMVs were similar between the wild-type and ΔzrlA mutant strains, but the ΔzrlA mutant strain produced 9.7 times more OMV particles than the wild-type strain. OMVs from the ΔzrlA mutant were more cytotoxic in cultured epithelial cells than OMVs from the wild-type strain. Conclusions The present study demonstrated that A. baumannii ZrlA contributes to bacterial morphogenesis and antimicrobial resistance, but its deletion increases OMV production and OMV-mediated host cell cytotoxicity.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jūratė Skerniškytė ◽  
Emilija Karazijaitė ◽  
Julien Deschamps ◽  
Renatas Krasauskas ◽  
Romain Briandet ◽  
...  

Acinetobacter baumannii is a nosocomial human pathogen of increasing concern due to its multidrug resistance profile. The outer membrane protein A (OmpA) is an abundant bacterial cell surface component involved in A. baumannii pathogenesis. It has been shown that the C-terminal domain of OmpA is located in the periplasm and non-covalently associates with the peptidoglycan layer via two conserved amino acids, thereby anchoring OmpA to the cell wall. Here, we investigated the role of one of the respective residues, D268 in OmpA of A. baumannii clinical strain Ab169, on its virulence characteristics by complementing the ΔompA mutant with the plasmid-borne ompAD268A allele. We show that while restoring the impaired biofilm formation of the ΔompA strain, the Ab169ompAD268A mutant tended to form bacterial filaments, indicating the abnormalities in cell division. Moreover, the Ab169 OmpA D268-mediated association to peptidoglycan was required for the manifestation of twitching motility, desiccation resistance, serum-induced killing, adhesion to epithelial cells and virulence in a nematode infection model, although it was dispensable for the uptake of β-lactam antibiotics by outer membrane vesicles. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate that the OmpA C-terminal domain-mediated association to peptidoglycan is critical for a number of virulent properties displayed by A. baumannii outside and within the host.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaisa Hiippala ◽  
Gonçalo Barreto ◽  
Claudia Burrello ◽  
Angelica Diaz-Basabe ◽  
Maiju Suutarinen ◽  
...  

Antibiotics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 275
Author(s):  
Keith Wawrzeniak ◽  
Gauri Gaur ◽  
Eva Sapi ◽  
Alireza G. Senejani

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are spherical bodies containing proteins and nucleic acids that are released by Gram-negative bacteria, including Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. The functional relationship between B. burgdorferi OMVs and host neuron homeostasis is not well understood. The objective of this study was to examine how B. burgdorferi OMVs impact the host cell environment. First, an in vitro model was established by co-culturing human BE2C neuroblastoma cells with B. burgdorferi B31. B. burgdorferi was able to invade BE2C cells within 24 h. Despite internalization, BE2C cell viability and levels of apoptosis remained unchanged, but resulted in dramatically increased production of MCP-1 and MCP-2 cytokines. Elevated secretion of MCP-1 has previously been associated with changes in oxidative stress. BE2C cell mitochondrial superoxides were reduced as early as 30 min after exposure to B. burgdorferi and OMVs. To rule out whether BE2C cell antioxidant response is the cause of decline in superoxides, superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) gene expression was assessed. SOD2 expression was reduced upon exposure to B. burgdorferi, suggesting that B. burgdorferi might be responsible for superoxide reduction. These results suggest that B. burgdorferi modulates cell antioxidant defense and immune system reaction in response to the bacterial infection. In summary, these results show that B. burgdorferi OMVs serve to directly counter superoxide production in BE2C neurons, thereby ‘priming’ the host environment to support B. burgdorferi colonization.


2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (18) ◽  
pp. 5854-5865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria H. Daleke-Schermerhorn ◽  
Tristan Felix ◽  
Zora Soprova ◽  
Corinne M. ten Hagen-Jongman ◽  
David Vikström ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTOuter membrane vesicles (OMVs) are spherical nanoparticles that naturally shed from Gram-negative bacteria. They are rich in immunostimulatory proteins and lipopolysaccharide but do not replicate, which increases their safety profile and renders them attractive vaccine vectors. By packaging foreign polypeptides in OMVs, specific immune responses can be raised toward heterologous antigens in the context of an intrinsic adjuvant. Antigens exposed at the vesicle surface have been suggested to elicit protection superior to that from antigens concealed inside OMVs, but hitherto robust methods for targeting heterologous proteins to the OMV surface have been lacking. We have exploited our previously developed hemoglobin protease (Hbp) autotransporter platform for display of heterologous polypeptides at the OMV surface. One, two, or three of theMycobacterium tuberculosisantigens ESAT6, Ag85B, and Rv2660c were targeted to the surface ofEscherichia coliOMVs upon fusion to Hbp. Furthermore, a hypervesiculating ΔtolRΔtolAderivative of attenuatedSalmonella entericaserovar Typhimurium SL3261 was generated, enabling efficient release and purification of OMVs decorated with multiple heterologous antigens, exemplified by theM. tuberculosisantigens and epitopes fromChlamydia trachomatismajor outer membrane protein (MOMP). Also, we showed that delivery ofSalmonellaOMVs displaying Ag85B to antigen-presenting cellsin vitroresults in processing and presentation of an epitope that is functionally recognized by Ag85B-specific T cell hybridomas. In conclusion, the Hbp platform mediates efficient display of (multiple) heterologous antigens, individually or combined within one molecule, at the surface of OMVs. Detection of antigen-specific immune responses upon vesicle-mediated delivery demonstrated the potential of our system for vaccine development.


2006 ◽  
Vol 189 (5) ◽  
pp. 1627-1632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria D. Bodero ◽  
M. Carolina Pilonieta ◽  
George P. Munson

ABSTRACT The expression of the inner membrane protein NlpA is repressed by the enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) virulence regulator Rns, a member of the AraC/XylS family. The Rns homologs CfaD from ETEC and AggR from enteroaggregative E. coli also repress expression of nlpA. In vitro DNase I and potassium permanganate footprinting revealed that Rns binds to a site overlapping the start codon of nlpA, preventing RNA polymerase from forming an open complex at nlpAp. A second Rns binding site between positions −152 and −195 relative to the nlpA transcription start site is not required for repression. NlpA is not essential for growth of E. coli under laboratory conditions, but it does contribute to the biogenesis of outer membrane vesicles. As outer membrane vesicles have been shown to contain ETEC heat-labile toxin, the repression of nlpA may be an indirect mechanism through which the virulence regulators Rns and CfaD limit the release of toxin.


2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (12) ◽  
pp. 7346-7354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Ting Liao ◽  
Shu-Chen Kuo ◽  
Ming-Hsien Chiang ◽  
Yi-Tzu Lee ◽  
Wang-Chou Sung ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTCarbapenem-resistantAcinetobacter baumannii(CRAb) shelter cohabiting carbapenem-susceptible bacteria from carbapenem killing via extracellular release of carbapenem-hydrolyzing class D β-lactamases, including OXA-58. However, the mechanism of the extracellular release of OXA-58 has not been elucidated.In silicoanalysis predicted OXA-58 to be translocated to the periplasm via the Sec system. Using cell fractionation and Western blotting, OXA-58 with the signal peptide and C terminus deleted was not detected in the periplasmic and extracellular fractions. Overexpression of enhanced green fluorescent protein fused to the OXA-58 signal peptide led to its periplasmic translocation but not extracellular release, suggesting that OXA-58 is selectively released. The majority of the extracellular OXA-58 was associated with outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). The OMV-associated OXA-58 was detected only in a strain overexpressing OXA-58. The presence of OXA-58 in OMVs was confirmed by a carbapenem inactivation bioassay, proteomic analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. Imipenem treatment increased OMV formation and caused cell lysis, resulting in an increase in the OMV-associated and OMV-independent release of extracellular OXA-58. OMV-independent OXA-58 hydrolyzed nitrocefin more rapidly than OMV-associated OXA-58 but was more susceptible to proteinase K degradation. Rose bengal, an SecA inhibitor, inhibited the periplasmic translocation and OMV-associated release of OXA-58 and abolished the sheltering effect of CRAb. This study demonstrated that the majority of the extracellular OXA-58 is selectively released via OMVs after Sec-dependent periplasmic translocation. Addition of imipenem increased both OMV-associated and OMV-independent OXA-58, which may have different biological roles. SecA inhibitor could abolish the carbapenem-sheltering effect of CRAb.


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